Die problematiek van leerders met serebrale gestremdhede met spesifieke verwysing na taal, kognisie en numeriese versperrings tot leer

[摘要] English: This study examines the experiential problems of learners with cerebral palsy (CP). Reference is made to the development of the concept of self and to the influence of defective brain processes on learners' language skills and numerical processing. Problem-oriented visual-perceptual intervention strategies are proposed and tested in support of the key problem. The research results of this study are also verified by means of two empirical investigations, involving learners with CP in the basic and intermediary phases, respectively. The summary and findings of each article are discussed in the following paragraphs.Article 1 discusses the development of the concept of self of children with CP, concomitant with the two main learning disabilities, namely language and numerical disabilities. The article also explores the raised stress levels of the caregivers in the caring set-up and their impact on the child with CP. According to Karasek (1979), the degree of either poor or good control of the caring situation has a direct effect on the psychological well-being of the CP child. A deliberate positive attitude leads to these children's positive experience of the concept of self, resulting in their greater audacity and use of talents. This subscribes to Seligman's (2002) Positive Psychology, which states that individuals must concentrate and build on positive events in their life. This article also refers to the success stories of various individuals with CP.Article 2 discusses the language development of learners with CP, with specific reference to the incomplete phonological loop as the main cause. The phonological loop in the working memory must be completed before phoneme-grapheme capture is established and phonological awareness can develop. The visual, auditory and speech impairments of learners with CP cause a distorted sound or image of a letter to be an initial speech input in the phonological loop, hampering the normal development of phonological awareness. The aim of the visual-perceptual intervention strategies, drawn up for this study, is to support the problem due to the incomplete phonological loop.Article 3 discusses the implementation of visual-perceptual intervention strategies for the literacy problems of learners with CP. The Davis strategies as well as visual imaging are mainly used to address the gap caused by the visual, auditory and speech impairments of learners with CP which deprive them of their phonological awareness. The results of the empirical research show that the language defects of learners (Grades 1 to 3) in the experimental group improved significantly following exposure to the visual-perceptual intervention strategies, compared to those of learners in the control group who were not exposed to these intervention strategies.Article 4 discusses the numeracy deficits of learners with CP. The theoretical study found that language defects have a direct influence on a learner's numerical abilities. Unfortunately, the visual, auditory and speech impairments of these learners hamper the correct perception of the figure/symbol, thus interrupting the phonological loop. The phonological loop in the working memory must be completed before a learner can attach meaning to a figure/symbol in order for it to be memorised. The understanding of number is thus lost. These learners also experience problems with mathematical words and word sums. Visual-perceptual intervention strategies enable learners with CP to develop a memory picture of figures and symbols as well as an understanding of number and numerical skills early in their life.Article 5 discusses the development and implementation of visual-perceptual intervention strategies in support of the numeracy deficits of learners with CP. The results of this empirical research show that the numeracy deficits of learners in the experimental group (Grades 4 to 6) improved significantly following exposure to the visual-perceptual intervention strategies, compared to those of learners in the control group who were not exposed to these strategies. It can, therefore, be concluded that the numerical skills of learners with CP improved when they were taught mathematics by means of visual-perceptual intervention strategies.

[发布机构] University of the Free State